MadManOfBethesda Posted November 25, 2014 #1 Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? Edited November 25, 2014 by MadManOfBethesda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckle53 Posted November 25, 2014 #2 Share Posted November 25, 2014 All I can say is I hope to someday have that sort of dilemma. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp12687 Posted November 25, 2014 #3 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? they will offer you additional cruises. On my last cruise i got the offer on my last night and couldn't do it. Within 2 weeks of the cruise ending when i logged into the carnival site with my VIFP and searched my offered i was eligible for free cruises and free premium casino cruises. These offers expire and then a new one is launched pretty soon after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breckbird Posted November 25, 2014 #4 Share Posted November 25, 2014 i would just like to have the problem of ever getting offered a free cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAOk1945 Posted November 25, 2014 #5 Share Posted November 25, 2014 What a nice problem to have! I should be so lucky! :D What type of cabin will you have if you accept this offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkIVette Posted November 25, 2014 #6 Share Posted November 25, 2014 i would just like to have the problem of ever getting offered a free cruise Don't be haters. Actually, I had the same situation. Got a free cruise offer from the casino host on my Nov 2013 cruise. Took the March cruise from that one. Got a free cruise offer then, took the June cruise to Alaska. Was offered another one then, but frankly, we spend the rest of the summer at our lake house. Just turned it down. You know, they really aren't all free, still going to cost you something, if not time that you want to spend elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John1928 Posted November 25, 2014 #7 Share Posted November 25, 2014 There's no such thing as free... If luck has been on your side you may not have paid for it already, but if you keep earning and taking that type of "free" cruise you will most assuredly pay for it eventually (said as a non-gambler who rides his wife's casino offer coattails). If you're busy, booked, and tired already there's no harm in passing this up. Most likely you'll receive similar offers regularly in the future anyhow based on recent history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evandbob Posted November 25, 2014 #8 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Don't be haters. Actually, I had the same situation. Got a free cruise offer from the casino host on my Nov 2013 cruise. Took the March cruise from that one. Got a free cruise offer then, took the June cruise to Alaska. Was offered another one then, but frankly, we spend the rest of the summer at our lake house. Just turned it down. You know, they really aren't all free, still going to cost you something, if not time that you want to spend elsewhere. I have 7 "vacations" planned, one each month from December to May, with two in January. When I received an offer from Players Club for a low cost cruise, there weren't any openings where I could squeeze the "almost free" cruise in - such is life. And quite frankly, the offer from the casino comes because I have "paid" for the offer in both time and money in the casino already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rottweiler Puppy Posted November 25, 2014 #9 Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) Its not stupid at all. I turned one down the other month. They called me 5 days before a cruise and said I can go and just pay the taxes. It was the Glory or Conquest, I don't remember. It was too close to my recently sailed NCL Getaway cruise and while I get 4 weeks vacation, I wanted to save them up for other things. What is awesome my parents got the call the next day and went. It was not a casino promo. There was a large storm out there and I guess it hurt bookings and needed to fill the ship with us locals who could make last minute cruises. Edited November 25, 2014 by Rottweiler Puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate melting cake Posted November 25, 2014 #10 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Its not stupid at all. I turned one down the other month. They called me 5 days before a cruise and said I can go and just pay the taxes. It was the Glory or Conquest, I don't remember. It was too close to my recently sailed NCL Getaway cruise and while I get 4 weeks vacation, I wanted to save them up for other things. What is awesome my parents got the call the next day and went. It was not a casino promo. There was a large storm out there and I guess it hurt bookings and needed to fill the ship with us locals who could make last minute cruises. Same here----we were on a B2B on the Splendor and were offered the following week's repositioning cruise for "free". Had to turn it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winddawn Posted November 26, 2014 #11 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? You are not being stupid. Do what brings you joy. I've got offers for 2 different free cruises in my offers right now but they are cruises that Carnival chose for me, and I'm not interested in them. I booked a land-based vacation today based on my preferences. Just do what is best for you based on the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrneil001 Posted November 26, 2014 #12 Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) If you're not planning to go, couldn't you just give it away to a friend by doing a name change for 50 bucks? Edited November 26, 2014 by mrneil001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pusywillow Posted November 26, 2014 #13 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I turn down free cruises all the time. Can't always get away. The one that really hurt was an offer from Princess for a free cruise plus $1000 cash. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twocruiseguys Posted November 26, 2014 #14 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? Same exact situation happened to us. See our cruise history. On the last day of that 2nd "free" cruise, we received a letter from the casino host for another one. We just couldn't work it into our schedules. Thought I was going to need some serious therapy to get over that one. On a side note: to all who accept these "free" offers, it's important to note that what they are giving you for free is an inside category cabin. You may upgrade to a higher category and pay a nominal fee. But if you don't upgrade and instead accept the free category, you will not receive points for the cruise on your VIFP account. This has happened to a number of our friends who did not find out about this caveat until it was too late. On both of our free cruises, we upgraded to a balcony, paid an embarrassingly low fare, and received the points. So we avoided this situation. It's just good to know this information in advance, and your booking agent may or may not let you know this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireofficer5 Posted November 26, 2014 #15 Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) Wow, how much do you have to loose to get these offers.:D Edited November 26, 2014 by fireofficer5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManOfBethesda Posted November 26, 2014 Author #16 Share Posted November 26, 2014 they will offer you additional cruises. On my last cruise i got the offer on my last night and couldn't do it. Within 2 weeks of the cruise ending when i logged into the carnival site with my VIFP and searched my offered i was eligible for free cruises and free premium casino cruises. These offers expire and then a new one is launched pretty soon after. Thanks. Good to know. What type of cabin will you have if you accept this offer? It's an inside cabin, but I can upgrade. The cruise we took last week was also a free inside cabin cruise and we upgraded to a balcony cabin for $70pp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonomissX Posted November 26, 2014 #17 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkler8 Posted November 26, 2014 #18 Share Posted November 26, 2014 AnonomissX. I want that video! ROFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliair Posted November 26, 2014 #19 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Just got off the Glory three days ago and received an offer on the last day from the casino host for a free cruise to be taken in December. Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the cruise from which I just debarked was also a free cruise that I had received from the casino host due to my cruise on the Glory in mid October. In between these last two cruises my wife and I traveled to Orlando for Halloween and then spent a week in DC. Frankly, we're tired of traveling right now and we have a big two-month trip to Fiji, Australia & New Zealand coming up in Jan-March. (That trip also includes 2 two-week cruises.) Still, it is difficult to say no to a free cruise, especially one that we could take over Christmas should we choose to do so. I suppose we could just stay in our cabin and relax rather than running around from one activity to another on sea days as well as not schedule tours or other activities on port days. Actually, I'm starting to talk myself into this as I am writing this post, lol. However, I'm still disinclined to go. How stupid am I being? (Boy, I'm really opening myself up with that one, aren't i, lol? So far this year we have received 3 free cruise offers and have turned down all of them. "Free" to me means all expenses paid. We would have to pay for travel (fly), we would have to pay for hotel, transportation, port fees and tips. Oh, and an inside room. No way! So for us, "free" is not worth it to us. I don't think you're stupid, it sounds like you're tired of cruising at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonomissX Posted November 26, 2014 #20 Share Posted November 26, 2014 AnonomissX. I want that video! ROFL. Saw it or one just like it on another message board (so not cruise related, LOL) URL: " http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/give_it_to_me_stephen_colbert.gif " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManOfBethesda Posted November 26, 2014 Author #21 Share Posted November 26, 2014 AnonomissX. I want that video! ROFL. Yes, that was hilarious. Well done, AnonomissX. So far this year we have received 3 free cruise offers and have turned down all of them. "Free" to me means all expenses paid. We would have to pay for travel (fly), we would have to pay for hotel, transportation, port fees and tips. Oh, and an inside room. No way! So for us, "free" is not worth it to us. Fortunately, as we live in Miami Beach about 10-15 minutes away from the port, we don't have to be concerned with travel, hotel, or other transportation expenses. It makes deciding whether to go on last-minute cruises much less complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Do-Over Posted November 26, 2014 #22 Share Posted November 26, 2014 If it makes you feel any better, the free casino offers (the letters on board) have exclusions. We're booked on our fourth in a row, but could NOT book the freebie on any holiday. Any cruise including Thanksgiving, Christmas day or New Years is excluded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goduckies05 Posted November 26, 2014 #23 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I also got a free cruise on the Glory then and can't use it. At least I was able to take advantage of the Premier Cruise on the Breeze on Feb though. Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goduckies05 Posted November 26, 2014 #24 Share Posted November 26, 2014 600 bucks for me but I was playing a hundred a roll at craps for a few hours and tipping well Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkIVette Posted November 26, 2014 #25 Share Posted November 26, 2014 If you're not planning to go, couldn't you just give it away to a friend by doing a name change for 50 bucks? They are not transferable. Wow, how much do you have to loose to get these offers.:D For those not familiar with these free cruise offers, they come from the casino host on the cruise. They decide to give them to you because of how you play. They are based on size of wager and how long you play in the casino. I usually wager $500 a night, win or lose. You won't get one for playing the nickel slot machine. Or playing blackjack at $6 a hand. And you don't have to lose money to get one. My first free cruise offer came after a great week of playing craps every night. Took the casino for just over $5,000 for the week. I guess they wanted to get there money back. Face it, usually the longer you play, the odds are you will lose. I just got real lucky that week. Next free cruise was not "free". I lost $3,000 for the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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